Gai Waterhouse believes Sir Delius is exactly where she wants him as the high-class import prepares to defend his crown in Saturday’s Gr1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington, despite arriving at the prestigious weight-for-age contest via a markedly different preparation from the one that carried him to victory 12 months ago. The Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained six-year-old went into last year’s Turnbull third-up after contesting the Gr2 Chelmsford Stakes and winning the Gr1 Underwood Stakes, but this spring he has raced only once, producing an encouraging fourth in the Gr1 Makybe Diva Stakes over 1600m. Rather than viewing the lighter campaign as a concern, Waterhouse is delighted with the entire’s condition and said Bott had done an excellent job preparing him before sending him south to Melbourne. According to racing.com, Sir Delius completed his final serious piece of work on Flemington’s course proper on Tuesday morning, with Waterhouse deliberately altering his routine to keep the horse mentally sharp rather than burdening him with a searching gallop. His work comprised approximately 1000m with an emphasis on the final 400m, and Waterhouse reported that he appeared to relish the assignment. Particularly encouraging has been the physical improvement Sir Delius has made since his first-up appearance, with Waterhouse noting a significant change in his muscle tone as he prepares to chase a fourth Gr1 success. That progression is important given the Turnbull’s traditional position as one of the pivotal races of the Melbourne spring and the likelihood that the 2000m Flemington contest will again demand a genuinely elite performance. Sir Delius demonstrated his capacity at the highest level during his previous campaign and his first-up Makybe Diva Stakes effort was designed to bring him forward rather than have him at his peak immediately, giving connections confidence that the defending champion is now ready to take another substantial step. His future could also extend beyond the Australian spring, with Waterhouse revealing that international options in Japan or Hong Kong are possibilities later in the season, although any decision will ultimately rest with Bott and owner Sir Owen Glenn. For now, however, the focus is firmly on Flemington and a repeat Turnbull triumph, with Waterhouse convinced her charge has arrived at the race in precisely the condition required.
Turnbull Cup winner Sir Delius (pic: Mark Gatt)
NEWKeeneland Unveils Powerful Nov Catalogue
Wednesday, 30th September 2026
Keeneland has assembled a catalogue of 3,397 horses for its prestigious November Breeding Stock Sale, which will begin on November 3, just three days after the Lexington track stages the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, and continue across nine sessions through November 11, reports TDN. The timing places the auction at the centre of an intense period for the Kentucky Thoroughbred industry, with Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin highlighting the unique connection created between elite racing and the commercial marketplace through the Keeneland Championship Sale at Historic Castleton, the Breeders’ Cup, the November Sale and the subsequent Horses of Racing Age Sale. The catalogue encompasses accomplished broodmare prospects, proven mares carrying pregnancies to many of North America’s most sought-after stallions and a significant collection of well-bred weanlings, including the first mares offered in foal to Gr1 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and champions Citizen Bull, Fierceness, Sierra Leone and Straight No Chaser. Buyers will also have their first opportunity to secure weanlings from the initial crops of Gr1 Preakness Stakes winner Seize The Grey, Gr1 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch and champion National Treasure. Several significant dispersals add further depth, among them the complete dispersal of Aaron and Marie Jones LLC, comprising five broodmares in foal to stallions including Candy Ride, Goal Oriented, Into Mischief and Tapit, together with four weanlings by Into Mischief, Nyquist and Tapit, all consigned through Taylor Made Sales Agency. Taylor Made will also offer the 40-strong Starship Stables dispersal for Laurence Leavy, featuring mares carrying pregnancies to an extensive roster that includes Cody’s Wish, Cogburn, Forte, Golden Pal, Mindframe, Not This Time, Sierra Leone, Vekoma and Yaupon. The sale opens with a single-session Book 1 featuring 258 selected broodmares, broodmare prospects and weanlings, headed by notable racetrack performers including Gr1 Jenny Wiley Stakes winner Expensive Queen, Gr1 Test Stakes winner Kilwin, Gr1 Gamely Stakes heroine Thought Process and Gr1 La Brea Stakes winner Usha. The elite weanling draft contains a Justify full-brother to Ruling Court, a Good Magic half-sister to Broodmare of the Year Puca, a Curlin half-sister to Cave Rock, a Flightline half-brother to Eskimo Kisses and an Into Mischief half-brother to Princess Noor, underlining the international significance and extraordinary pedigree depth of Keeneland’s flagship breeding stock auction.
NEWDempsey Finds His Mojo in Tasmania
Wednesday, 30th September 2026
Well-travelled Irish jockey Luke Dempsey has quickly made Tasmania home, with the experienced rider enjoying success both professionally and personally since arriving in the state during the winter. Dempsey had his first Tasmanian race ride in early July and has wasted little time establishing himself, partnering seven winners at an impressive strike rate of 19 per cent while also becoming engaged to fellow Irish-born jockey Erica Byrne Burke. The pair’s connection stretches back to their early days working for leading trainer Gordon Elliott in Ireland, and Dempsey said their relationship had developed after they remained in contact over the years. Now based at Devonport in Tasmania’s northwest, he rides trackwork most mornings for prominent local trainers Barry Campbell and Adam Trinder and has indicated he intends remaining in the state for the foreseeable future. Dempsey originally forged his reputation as a highly regarded jumps jockey in Ireland before his career took him to Australia, where he spent time riding in both Victoria and Queensland prior to making the move south. Tasmania’s more relaxed lifestyle has proved an ideal fit, while the approaching summer racing period is providing additional incentive as opportunities begin to increase across the state. Two of Dempsey’s seven Tasmanian victories have come aboard the Imogen Miller-trained Alfarino, and the combination will be reunited at Launceston on Friday night when the four-year-old attempts to complete a hat-trick in the Class 3 over 1400m. Dempsey has been particularly impressed by Alfarino through his opening two runs of the preparation and believes further improvement remains, with the rise to 1400m expected to suit and barrier two giving the gelding every opportunity to enjoy a similarly economical passage to his latest success. It shapes as another busy evening for Dempsey, who is booked in six of the eight races on the Launceston program, including three mounts for trainer Stuart Gandy. He rates Gandy’s team as a particularly strong group of rides and singled out Fuel On The Fire as a leading opportunity after a sequence of consistent performances. With momentum building, strong support from local stables and his personal life equally settled, Dempsey’s Tasmanian move is rapidly developing into considerably more than another temporary stop in a career that has already taken him a long way from Ireland.
Arc Mystique Remains Undiminished
Wednesday, 30th September 2026
For all the attempts to modernise, market and repackage major international racing, the Gr1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe continues to derive much of its power from something considerably harder to manufacture: more than a century of history, Paris in autumn and a roll of honour whose names remain part of racing folklore long after ratings and seasonal rankings have been forgotten. That enduring quality is the theme explored by theguardian.com ahead of Sunday's latest renewal at ParisLongchamp, where defending champion Daryz is attempting to achieve a feat no male horse has managed since Alleged completed his double under Lester Piggott in 1978. The Arc may no longer automatically occupy top position in the annual international race rankings, but its historical standing is formidable. The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities named it the inaugural Longines World's Best Horse Race in 2015, and it subsequently collected the award again in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, testimony to the sustained quality of the horses assembling over Longchamp's 2400m. IFHA Online opined this year's developing field again carries strong international and generational themes. Daryz heads the contenders, while William Haggas has Maltese Cross and Andrew Balding is represented by a leading middle-distance performer as he attempts to emulate the achievement of his father Ian, who prepared the legendary Mill Reef to win the race in 1971. Joseph O'Brien's Oaks winner Thundering On provides another intriguing family dimension, particularly with three possible runners remaining for his father Aidan O'Brien, while veteran French trainer Jean-Claude Rouget is preparing to bring down the curtain on a remarkable 48-year career with Arrow Eagle. Japan's long pursuit of the prize continues through Meisho Tabaru and Admire Terra, with the country still seeking an elusive first Arc victory despite decades of concerted attempts. Final composition remains fluid, with supplementary possibilities, the barrier draw and Paris weather still capable of materially reshaping the race before Sunday. France Galop has also been willing to alter long-established traditions, including the decision to allow geldings into the Arc from 2027 as racing authorities seek to ensure the contest continues attracting the world's leading middle-distance horses. Yet those adjustments almost underline what makes the race unusual. The Arc does not depend solely upon prize-money, ratings or promotional devices for its significance; victory places a horse alongside champions such as Treve, Enable, Golden Horn, Sottsass and countless earlier legends. Tens of thousands arriving through the Bois de Boulogne each first Sunday in October understand that distinction instinctively. Whatever position the Arc occupies on a numerical list, winning at Longchamp still bestows a form of racing immortality that remarkably few events can equal.
Turnover Slide Concerns Hong Kong Officials
Wednesday, 30th September 2026
The Hong Kong Jockey Club has begun examining the reasons behind a concerning early-season decline in local wagering, with chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges acknowledging that turnover has fallen at five of the first six meetings of the new campaign. Local betting on Sunday's 11-race Sha Tin programme reached HK$1.359 billion, down 11.5 per cent from the corresponding fixture last season, and while smaller fields are relatively common during Hong Kong's hot early-season conditions, the persistent softness has prompted closer scrutiny, reports scmp.com, noting that Engelbrecht-Bresges believes several factors may be contributing, including reduced average bet sizes, additional wagering products competing for customers' attention and field-size issues that diminish betting appeal. The Gr3 Celebration Cup illustrated the latter problem, with only nine runners compared with 14 previously, while turnover on the final race was HK$153 million against the approximately HK$190 million the Club would ordinarily expect from a contest of comparable quality. Head of racing product Greg Carpenter said the customer base remained broadly comparable with last year but average investment had been notably weaker through the opening fixtures. Engelbrecht-Bresges also raised the possibility that the continuing expansion of commingling and international simulcasts may be exerting a cannibalisation effect on domestic pools, creating a delicate balance between offering customers more high-quality racing and preserving sufficient liquidity on Hong Kong's own product. That issue assumes added significance following an exceptionally strong 2025-26 financial year in which total Hong Kong racing turnover rose 3.6 per cent to HK$143.3 billion, while commingling turnover increased 9 per cent to HK$34.3 billion and simulcast turnover jumped 21.4 per cent. The Club has simultaneously been confronting the growth of illegal gambling and the Hong Kong Government's pause on issuing a regulated basketball betting licence, into which considerable preparatory investment had already been made. Engelbrecht-Bresges believes expanding the customer base is therefore critical rather than simply adding more betting opportunities for existing punters. The Club has already responded by announcing additional wagering options, including expanded Six Up pools for simulcast and local racing from October, beginning internationally with the Gr1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe programme. Punters have also expressed frustration about late odds fluctuations caused by delays in digital pool calculations, another issue the Club is examining. None of this undermines Hong Kong racing's extraordinary wagering scale, but after a financial year of overall growth, the sharp early decline in domestic turnover has provided an unmistakable reminder that maintaining both customer engagement and deep local pools remains fundamental to the model.
Williams Partnership Disqualified 12 Months
Wednesday, 30th September 2026
High profile WA trainers Grant and Alana Williams have been disqualified for 12 months after Starry Heights returned a positive swab to ritalinic acid following last year’s Kalgoorlie Cup. The horse was eased out of the race on 4 October 2025 and a post-mortem sample subsequently revealed the substance, which is classified under the racing rules as Prohibited List A. The co-licensed trainers pleaded guilty under AR 240(2) to bringing and presenting Starry Heights to race with the substance detected in his sample. As Punters reports, Racing WA stewards ordered the disqualification to take immediate effect but credited the partnership with the 29 days their licences were suspended between 19 January and 16 February this year. The penalty will therefore expire on 29 August 2027. In assessing the case, stewards considered the guilty plea and the trainers’ personal circumstances alongside the rule’s role in protecting racing’s integrity and the classification of ritalinic acid as a metabolite of methylphenidate. The Williamses submitted that contamination had caused the detection, but stewards said there was insufficient basis to accept that explanation; the inquiry did not establish how the substance came to be present. The decision removes one of Western Australia’s most successful training partnerships from competition for almost a year. Grant and Alana Williams have trained 12 Group 1 winners together and amassed 924 victories at a strike rate of 24 per cent. Their absence will leave a gaping hole in the State's training ranks.
O'Brien Cup Army Continues to Take Shape
Wednesday, 30th September 2026
Two-time Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Joseph O'Brien is assembling one of the largest international teams of the spring, with nine stayers set to be in Australia despite the decision to keep exciting St Leger winner Highwayman in Europe. Five O'Brien-trained horses – Sons And Lovers, Trustyourinstinct, Defiantly, James J Braddock and Goodie Two Shoes – entered pre-export quarantine in Ireland over the weekend and are scheduled to join Starford, Omni Man, Small Fry and Kizlyar, who are already undergoing quarantine at Werribee after arriving in Melbourne. Racing.com, reporting material from Racing Post, said the second European shipment is expected to reach Melbourne on October 13, while Japanese stayer Stinger Glass is due two days earlier on October 11. Hopewell Rock is also completing quarantine alongside the O'Brien contingent. Highwayman had loomed as one of the more intriguing potential Melbourne Cup visitors following his remarkable victory in the Gr1 St Leger at Doncaster, but owner John Neocleous and O'Brien have elected instead to supplement him for the Gr1 Qatar Racing Long Distance Cup at Ascot on Champions Day on October 17. O'Brien said the colt had satisfied the requirements necessary to travel to Melbourne but connections ultimately considered Ascot the more suitable next assignment. The decision removes a rapidly improving stayer from the Cup equation: Highwayman had been beaten a combined 57 lengths across his first three appearances before his form transformed dramatically, his rating rising from 76 to 117 in the space of three starts. After a nine-length maiden victory at Killarney, he landed Listed company at Leopardstown before taking the St Leger, where Saffie Osborne became the first female jockey to win a British Classic. Highwayman's absence, however, barely diminishes the numerical strength of O'Brien's Australian operation. The Irish trainer has long demonstrated an exceptional affinity with Flemington's 3200m feature, winning the Melbourne Cup with Rekindling in 2017 when, aged just 24, he became the youngest trainer to win the race, and again with Twilight Payment in 2020. Rekindling was also the first Northern Hemisphere three-year-old to win the Cup, while Twilight Payment produced a bold front-running performance under Jye McNeil three years later. With four horses already in Melbourne and another five preparing to make the journey, O'Brien once again appears intent on giving himself multiple opportunities to add a third Melbourne Cup to an already extraordinary record in Australia's most famous race.
Apprentices Shine at Murray Bridge Opening
Wednesday, 30th September 2026
In South Australia, apprentice riders played starring roles on the opening day of the Murray Bridge Cup Carnival, with Shayleigh Ingelse and Rose Hammond both riding doubles on a programme that also produced encouraging results for several South Australian stables. Victorian-based Ingelse continued an outstanding run of success at Gifford Hill, where she had ridden three winners on her previous visit, by scoring aboard Final Countdown for her boss Paul Preusker before combining with the David Jolly and Justin Potter-trained Heart Of The Med. According to Racing SA, Ingelse was delighted to receive support from outside stables in one of Australia's increasingly competitive apprentice ranks, and she produced another composed ride aboard Heart Of The Med, who made it three wins from four starts and maintained her unbeaten record at Murray Bridge. Ingelse believes there is further improvement to come from the lightly raced mare, noting that she still has a tendency to overdo things in her races but possesses the toughness required to continue progressing through the grades. Hammond was equally prominent, registering her first South Australian metropolitan double, a milestone highlighted by her victory aboard Freedom Flame in the inaugural Murray Bridge Gold Cup Prelude. The Andrew Gluyas-trained mare returned to winning form over 1600m and could now be tested beyond a mile, with Gluyas indicating that the former Listed Hill Smith Stakes winner may ultimately be better suited at 2000m and further rather than returning for the Murray Bridge Cup. Hammond had earlier partnered Up The Den to victory for Michael Hickmott, providing a particularly welcome result for a stable that has endured a frustrating period following illness through the yard. Hickmott revealed that a virus had affected a significant number of horses following the stable's Darwin Cup campaign, forcing multiple scratchings and severely disrupting plans, but praised his staff for maintaining morale throughout a difficult six-week stretch. The stable's fortunes improved sharply across the weekend, with its Murray Bridge success followed by three winners at Strathalbyn on Sunday through Magic Voyager, Make Me A Match and Darci Lane. Ingelse also struck again at Strathalbyn, while local apprentice Stephy Wright captured the opening heat of the Montgomerie/Forrest Apprentice Series aboard Frontpoint. With young riders repeatedly making their presence felt and several emerging horses progressing through the grades, the opening instalment of the Murray Bridge Cup Carnival provided an emphatic reminder of the depth currently developing within South Australian racing.
Dulce Caballo Raises Guineas Hopes
Wednesday, 30th September 2026
Riccarton trainer Lance Robinson may have unearthed another serious spring prospect after lightly raced three-year-old Dulce Caballo made an immediate impression on debut, defeating a quality field over 1200m at her home track and earning herself a likely shot at black type in the Gr3 Barneswood Farm Stakes at Ashburton. The daughter of Exceedance had given Robinson ample encouragement at the trials, but instead of taking the conservative route through maiden company he opted to test her against proven opposition in The Pavilion At Riccarton Park Three-Year-Old, where the field included stakes performers Zafar and Enchantment. Dulce Caballo justified that confidence, finishing strongly to account for Zafar by half a length and immediately putting herself into the frame for the leading three-year-old fillies' races later in the spring. Robinson told racingnews.co.nz that the stable had always thought highly of the filly, particularly after a recent trial in which she finished second in a heat run significantly faster than anything else on the programme. "You have got to line-up against them to find out how good you are," he said, adding that the option had existed to find an easier maiden but he preferred to discover where she stood against stronger opposition. Dulce Caballo has reportedly come through the performance in excellent order, and Robinson's current intention is to take her to the 1400m Gr3 Barneswood Farm Stakes before deciding whether she progresses to the Gr1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas over 1600m at Riccarton. Bred in Australia, Dulce Caballo is by Vinery Stud's Gr1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Exceedance from the Anabaa mare Daldena and was offered through Brighthill Farm at the 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. Her emergence adds another promising dimension to Robinson's New Zealand Cup carnival team, which also includes Iron Hawk and recent Australian acquisition North England. Iron Hawk, who missed Saturday's Riccarton meeting after recording an elevated temperature, is expected to resume at Ashburton, while North England produced an eye-catching five-length trial success at Riccarton on Monday. The Gr3-winning son of Farnan, bought by Barry and Katrina Purdon through Inglis Digital for A$45,000 in May, is being aimed at the Listed Stewards' Stakes during Cup Week. With Dulce Caballo now announcing herself so emphatically, Robinson's hand for November suddenly carries considerably more depth.
Up and coming trainer Hannah Gregory is relishing the responsibility of running Annabel and Rob Archibald's Brisbane operation, with the British-born horsewoman satisfied that a bold move to Australia has quickly developed into a significant career opportunity. Gregory arrived in Australia in June last year and initially joined the Archibalds' Sydney team before moving north in January to take charge of their Queensland stable following Todd Pollard's decision to establish his own training business. It meant an immediate baptism of fire, with Magic Millions week effectively marking Gregory's introduction to the Brisbane role, but nine months later she can reflect on a first Queensland winter carnival featuring a number of strong stable performances. According to racingqueensland.com.au, Gregory said she was "loving it", having now negotiated both the logistical challenge of managing an interstate satellite stable and the pressures associated with one of Australian racing's major carnivals. Her pathway into racing has been anything but conventional. Gregory did not come from a racing family, instead progressing through pony clubs and equestrian competition before working for English trainer Sophie Leech, where she spent three seasons as head of travelling while also riding as an amateur jockey. She subsequently spent almost four years as assistant to Gloucester trainer Richard Phillips, experience that proved invaluable when the opportunity emerged to move to Australia. Gregory had originally intended to begin with the Archibald stable several months earlier, but eventually arrived in Sydney last June before her Brisbane appointment followed at the start of 2026. Her immediate focus now switches to Wednesday's Doomben programme, where the stable will be represented by Perfect Play in a Class 4 Handicap over 1650m. The seven-year-old has won four of his 44 starts and has not saluted since scoring over 1660m at Doomben in December last year, but comes into the race following an encouraging fourth behind Liberty Park over 1615m at the same venue on September 12. Gregory believes the drop back to midweek grade should suit the consistent gelding, who will be partnered by Victorian apprentice Ryan Houston. The Archibald partnership's Queensland arm has become an increasingly important component of its national operation, having produced numerous feature-race successes since being established, and Gregory's rapid progression into its leadership role reflects both the depth of experience she accumulated in Britain and the confidence placed in her by the stable. What began as an ambition to experience Australian racing has, in barely more than a year, evolved into the responsibility of directing one of the country's most prominent operations in one of its most competitive racing jurisdictions.
Guest House Keeps Everest Door Open
Wednesday, 30th September 2026
Mick Price remains determined to keep Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Guest House on a path towards the Gr1 The Everest despite the colt suffering the first unplaced run of his career (see below) in a rough-house Gr1 Golden Rose at Rosehill. Guest House finished sixth, beaten approximately five-and-a-half lengths by the impressive Warwoven, after enduring an unsettled passage through the 1400m contest, but Price believes the circumstances make it difficult to draw firm conclusions about either the performance or the colt's ability at the distance. The three-year-old became embroiled in a mid-race bumping duel with St Gotthard, was crowded when attempting to improve and subsequently overraced, leaving Price satisfied that his beaten margin did not necessarily reflect his true performance. Speaking after the race, Price indicated that his preference was still to head towards the $20 million Gr1 The Everest over 1200m at Randwick on October 17, provided Guest House's ownership group, which includes Coolmore, agrees. According to Racenet, Price intends to freshen the son of Home Affairs at Coolmore's Mount White property, where cold-water treatment and a quieter environment would give him the opportunity to recover before a three-week turnaround into The Everest. Encouragingly, Guest House reportedly pulled up better from the Golden Rose than he had following his first-up victory in the Gr3 San Domenico Stakes, where he broke the long-standing Rosehill 1100m track record. Price acknowledged Warwoven's performance but described Guest House's first attempt at 1400m as inconclusive given the interference he encountered. The colt remains one of the most commercially significant three-year-olds in Australia, having been bought into by Coolmore following his Golden Slipper success in a deal reportedly valuing him at around $30 million, and an Everest victory would further enhance an already formidable stallion résumé. The challenge, of course, would hardly be routine. Defending champion and world-class Hong Kong sprinter Ka Ying Rising is again set to headline the Randwick feature, while last year's runner-up Tempted is among the other major players. Guest House nevertheless possesses the profile that makes the gamble understandable: a Golden Slipper winner with elite natural speed, a record-breaking first-up performance and, importantly, access to Coolmore's Everest slot should connections elect to proceed. Rather than allowing one difficult Golden Rose to derail the campaign, Price appears inclined to return Guest House to the distance range in which he has produced his most explosive form and give the colt his opportunity against the world's premier sprinters.
Trainers Series Adds to Karaka 2YO Sale
Wednesday, 30th September 2026
New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready to Run Sale Trainers Series has returned for a seventh season, continuing an initiative designed to strengthen the domestic buying bench by helping New Zealand trainers attend and purchase at November's internationally important two-year-old sale at Karaka. Introduced in 2020, the series combines ordinary race-day competition with practical financial incentives towards purchasing, insuring, transporting and feeding a Ready to Run acquisition, and the 2026 edition again stretches across the country through seven designated races. As outlined by nzb.co.nz, the opening leg at Riccarton was won by the Nayton Mitchell-trained Recital, while Auckland trainer Steven Cole collected the second instalment at Hastings through Chicago Jack. NZB's Jim Bruford, who was involved in developing the concept, said the strength of domestic participation at the Ready to Run Sale had increased markedly in recent seasons, an important complement to the international buying power that has traditionally underpinned the auction. The seven-race programme comprises three Northern, two Central and two Southern events, ensuring trainers in each major region have an opportunity to earn a package that directly reduces the costs associated with purchasing at Karaka. Each winning trainer receives a $500 travel voucher towards attending the sale, a $1000 NZB Insurance voucher covering insurance on one purchase, a Majestic Horse Transport contribution towards moving a sale graduate and a $500 Dunstan Horsefeeds voucher. Transport assistance varies geographically, with North Island winners receiving $250, Central winners $400 and Southern winners $750, recognising the different costs associated with getting horses home. Long-term supporters Majestic Horse Transport, Dunstan Horsefeeds and NZB Insurance again back the programme, which has previously assisted trainers including Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, Pam Gerard, Lisa Latta, Robbie Patterson, Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. The next race in the 2026 series is scheduled at Hawera on October 3, followed by legs at Ellerslie, Te Rapa and Riccarton through to November 7. Attention then shifts fully towards the sales process, with Ready to Run Breeze Ups scheduled at Te Rapa on October 13 and 14 before the two-day auction at Karaka on November 18 and 19. The concept has now developed into an effective bridge between racing and the sales ring: rather than merely encouraging trainers to attend Karaka, it places tangible purchasing support directly into their hands. With international competition for leading Ready to Run prospects traditionally fierce, reinforcing New Zealand's domestic buying strength remains commercially important both for the sale and for trainers seeking access to horses capable of progressing through the local and international racing systems.
